Tag Archives: injury

Cross Training

By Posted in Running Tagged , , , , , 11 Comments

As some of you may know, I love to cross train. I could (and did) during most of my injuries cross train like a champion and come back from EVERY INJURY as a stronger runner…it may have taken a few months but I did indeed come back.  That being said, I get asked a lot about cross training machines I use and to be quite honest…I’m quite picky.  I don’t have time, energy or the patience to waste on machines I hate.  That being said, I will use other machines occasionally just because I like to be a wild card.

This is getting confusing for me now…let me just talk about some of my favorite machines…

I wanted to talk about some of the random cross training I do (when I’m not feeling lazy and while still running).  For me personally, if I don’t cross train, I will probably get injured.  My body needs to cross train to work other muscles that running doesn’t work.

First, I’m not trying to be a jerk but I have no secrets of how to stay on an elliptical.  I literally just stay on.  Like I don’t stop in the middle of a run 5 miles out, I don’t stop in the middle of an elliptical session.  Once my feet go on it…I stay on.  I watch tv, text, tweet…whatever.  Hell, I even tweet and text when I run easy on the treadmill…another reason I’m a fake runner I suppose.

I know plenty of different articles can better explain to you why cross training is important and why you should add a day or two of cross training so I’m not going to ramble too much.  I will tell you though, everytime I cut out cross training I seem to get some sort of injury.   I don’t have time for cross training, then I don’t have time to run…I don’t have time to get injured is most important.

Some of the machines I really enjoy to do my cross training:

The Precor 100i. 

precor100i

This has been my go to machine as of the last year.  It simulates anything from a biking motion to a stair stepping motion and even a running motion.  (It takes a lot of practice to actually get the hang of the darn thing…believe me the amount of times I’ve fallen off).  I crank it up to the highest resistance (which in my gym is 20) and just go.

I have never done intervals on here but I know it’s possible. Honestly, if I could crank the machine up higher than I would…but sadly my gym doesn’t do that.  I could spend hours on this thing because it’s very low resistance and I feel like it is building up my quads enough so that they are strong enough to balance all my running.

The Arc Trainer.

arctrainer

I remember this photo (circa de March 2011). I had forgotten my headphones at home and made it 1 hour on this thing with no music or TV…gold stars…

Another favorite of mine.  I’ve been “Arcing” my life away since I first started working out in the gym around 9th or 10th grade.  (way before running).

I’m most familiar with this machine and they have a number of great programs.  I normally either do the cardio setting (you can adjust the level of resistance) or just manual at resistance 100.  Resistance 100 creates havoc on your legs and you will be sore the next day (so good havoc I suppose).

Core work:

There are so many different ways to do core work.  You and I probably have a different favorite method.  Right now, my favorite method is the p90x Ab Ripper DVD or the Nike training club app for iphone.  (The training club is free!).  I am not in a state of mind that I particularly want to sit in a gym and do medicine ball twists or whatnot…I have found doing these by myself, at my house is more effective…because I actually do them.

I personally believe that core work has gotten me through so many races.  I’m hoping it continues that way.   If I could just do 15 minutes of core work and continue to PR…that would be nice.   I have a gym routine I do when I actually make it to the gym to do some work.

I could add something about swimming here…but I’m a lost cause with getting back into the pool. 

Questions for you:

Do you cross train?

Favorite gym machine?

Oswego Musings Part 1

By Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Looking at my posts from 2-3 years ago is a little bit embarrassing.  Almost like looking at old scrapbook of distant memories.  I have been away from college and Potsdam for a year in Oswego and have for the most part, really enjoyed myself.  Writing this post has become a lot harder than I ever imagined it would.

As some of you know or don’t (I guess since I’ll probably link it back to my facebook everyone can know) I have extreme social anxiety.  I don’t thrive off of being spontaneous all the time and moving to a brand new place, not knowing anyone or anything really about the area last fall really sent me into a tizzy the entire last summer.  I have a very hard time being in situations that are crowded (big concerts, big road races…bars) and I also have a very hard time facing new situations.  Not the whole “oh no so and so are judging me, but I’ve had panic attacks because of it). 

So many questions I asked myself on the drive up…Would I make friends?  Would I still be close to my old friends?  Would I sit in my room and cry because I was all alone? Would I find things to do?  The list that went through my mind last summer was endless.

But let’s start from the very beginning of my internship yes?

I made it to Oswego and when my dad (who drove up with me) and I finally located my room, they had absolutely no records or idea of who the heck I was.  So I sat there for about 15 minutes crying and in a near panic attack before calling my boss to get help.  I was already stressed from driving but the fact that I might not be able to move in was really overwealming. 

 

My boss was more than helpful and I moved all my stuff in.  Then dad and I were on our way back to the airport to drop him off in the morning. 

For those of you who don’t know, I’m extremely close with my family and leaving again in the fall was extremely difficult for me.   The more I seemed to get through college, the harder it seems to get.  I thought it was supposed to be a reversal here.  My dad has driven up with me to college or Oswego the 90% of the time that I make that drive from upstate to VA or vice versa.

The first semester work wise was great.  I worked on pretty cool projects and learned a lot more about public/community health then I did in my courses.  Not to say I hadn’t learned much in my courses but the real world is far more inclusive to learning things in the field.  I worked on various topics dealing with mental health (the suicide prevention walk) as well learning what exactly it meant to be a health promotions coordinator on a college campus.  It was far more overwhelming at some points than others but I truly enjoyed it.

The Walkers beginning the actual walk! 450 coming!

The Walkers beginning the actual walk! 450 coming!

After finishing clean up and 9 hours later...it's nap time. It was a long process but well worth it and we raised around 20,000 dollars.

After finishing clean up and 9 hours later…it’s nap time. It was a long process but well worth it and we raised around 20,000 dollars.

They played a great prank on me with getting an early 90s computer.

They played a great prank on me with getting an early 90s computer.

I ran the Turning Stone half marathon...because...well why not...nothing better to do

I ran the Turning Stone half marathon…because…well why not…nothing better to do

 

Also during first semester, I dealt with a foot injury that prevented me from running.  That in itself sent me into an extreme spiral due to the amount of training and also the suspected heights I was going to achieve collegiately.  Let’s be honest here my life is comprised of family and friends, work and my hobbies (which right now is running).  Taking out 1/3 of my life was a big deal and it felt like the countless 90 mile weeks I had logged were absolutely for nothing.

Enjoy this X ray of my foot

Enjoy this X ray of my foot

 

What if’s can be played here, but it gave me more time to focus on other aspects of my life. (edit: I’ve only come back stronger from my bootleg injury so honestly I have no regrets…plus I made some serious great friends in the gym…I’m looking at you SARAH!)

 

I can type my foot injury casually now, but just know combined with being in a new area and not many friends at the time, it was a very rough period for me.  I called my parents crying several times…thank goodness they were always there to listen.  

I made friends my first semester with coworkers, was able to see some of my friends that lived in the area and for the most part was doing okay.  There were still times I sat at home on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday night but I was fine with that.  As a more introvert and someone never really into the college scene in college it wasn’t a big change there.  I didn’t want to go to the bar scene and so relaxing at night kind of was my thing.

Aren't we fun.

Aren’t we fun.

When the time came for what I was doing in the Spring, I had absolutely no idea.  I had looked and applied for several jobs and hadn’t heard much back.  I tried to stay focused and determined but it seemed like nothing was working.  My original plan had been move back to VA after the semester and look for jobs there, but I was lucky enough that I could stay and work in Oswego for another semester buying me time to continue looking for jobs (which for those of you who don’t know or are still in college…it’s not streamlined and you will be 100% frustrated.).

Then in November, everything seemed to click…you can go back and read about my long winded whines regarding my cyst but I was able to run the final collegiate cross country race.  It seemed like things were clicking again and I began my long journey to gaining back my running fitness…that really I never lost in two months.

As proven here when I didn't run for 2 months due my cyst and then ran a 24 minute 6k...

As proven here when I didn’t run for 2 months due my cyst and then ran a 24 minute 6k…

Oh and duh I got to see Tim for the first time in four months.  That was a good Thanksgiving.

timmewaterbuffalo

So mid December I left Oswego for the Winter break and went back home.  I was excited to spend a month off and hanging out down south but knowing I was coming back in the Spring to work again.

Tomorrow I’ll post more about Spring as this is wordy.

Questions for you:

Have you ever moved somewhere completely new, not knowing anyone?

Do you scrapbook?

I feel like my blog is a collection of my scrapbooking, as well as facebook (considering I have 3000+ photos)

Thoughts of Different Training Cycles

By Posted in Reads, Running Tagged , , , , , 22 Comments

I can’t believe tomorrow I’m driving down South for a few days for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon.  It almost seems depressing that I’ll only be a few hours from home yet I won’t be in the VA Beach area.  My post isn’t about VA Beach or traveling though. 

I have often wondered if cross training when you don’t feel like running is beneficial.  I’ll preface this by saying that I have absolutely no idea the correct answer to that.  I’m not going to sit here and throw around facts that I made up. I’m also not going to say, I blog therefore have the credentials to give you unwanted training (or life) advice. I will, however, tell you what has worked for me in this training cycle.  (I consider everything past my cyst injury this training cycle really).

Since roughly January, I’ve taken a day off weekly to either cross train or not work out at all depending on my mood.  Often times, it’s because of some weird problem I’m having of the day…sick…eye problems…sleeping…but other times it’s because I am focusing to taper (like tomorrow).

I’ve found that I’m still able to run the next day and didn’t lose all my endurance…go figure…not all of us hate days off…  I am the first to tell you that all while preparing for an overzealous cross country season last year I didn’t take a lot of rest days.  It wasn’t because I felt “compelled” to hit a certain mileage (because I’m hitting roughly the same mileage now with an off day).  It was because I was training differently.

Everyday I’d run roughly 5-8 miles before it got to be 100000 degrees.  Then maybe I’d run a few more in the form of a speed workout in the afternoon.  Heatbox speed…only made me stronger.  I don’t know, I hit my fastest 5k in 90 degree heat back in July.

I’d cross train on top of an 8 mile run sometimes…other times I’d just take PM off.  I took a few rest days sometimes.  What I’m telling you is that I basically cross trained and ran the same amount just layed out differently.  Instead of an entire day dedicated to just cross training, I’d run lower mileage throughout the week and just cross train…or take pm’s off.

Now I run higher mileage 6 out of 7 days of the week and then take a day away from running.  Not purposely but that is just how the cookie has started to crumble.

I think in this self guided thought processed blog.  (ie: my thinking about my training out loud),  I think I somewhat like having a day to just cross train as well.  It makes me crave running the next day.  (not in the same way I crave cookies though…).

Everyone’s body works differently and to think that you can umbrella yourself into one particular style or training method.  Sure there is a general method to improving, but how I choose to run may or may not work for you…just as you choose to train and run may or may not work for me. 

Questions for you:  Does your training change?

Casual Running

By Posted in Reads, Running Tagged , , , 50 Comments

I haven’t really posted about my training in a while or where I want it to go.   Or the fact that I am not being coached by anyone right now (I would have thought people would have assumed) but there it is all out in the open like that.  I am still on good terms with my coach, I just don’t have really anything I’m balls to the wall training for.  It’s not cross country season, it’s not the Olympics…quite frankly I’m just running with absolutely no focus and enjoying the journey to go there.

And you know what? 

I’m really enjoying how my running is going right now.  I have absolutely no pressure to do anything (not that I ever had pressure beforehand) but now I have even less pressure.  I’ve always been one (even being coached) to fly by the seat of pants.  I normally have always had a rough outline of what sort of runs and workouts I wanted to do for the week, but have a Monday: 6.45 miles, Tuesday: 12.69 miles at 8:02 pace…ect type of log?  I don’t think so.  Ever.

For instance during a training week my thoughts normally begin like this: This week I’ll attempt to run between 70-75 miles with five miles of speed somewhere in there…is it a race…maybe or just some tempoish miles.  That is the extent of my scheduling and planning.

So does this really help me?

I have actually found that it does and it does a lot.  First of all, I’m not obsessed with pace.  I don’t care. I could run 10 miles at 10 minute pace or 10 miles at 8 minute pace.  It’s still 10 base miles.

When talking with a fellow runner, I realized that it hasn’t always been that way for me.  I haven’t always been not obsessed with pace and numbers.  There was a point in my running career that I would run in the same 10 second pace range for every run of the week.  That pace was between 7-7:10.  All that did was make me injured.  I never got much faster and I was miserable the entire time.   I was so antsy if my overall pace was 7:11 or more and thought I had loss my all endurance…sounds silly now but that is what the new runner in me thought.  Train fast to go fast.  Race myself everyday.

In fact during that particular time of my running career, my 5k PR was 20:10.

Now it’s 18:57 and I run 75% of my runs above an 8:30 pace.

My half marathon PR then was 1:36.56…now it’s 1:27.17.

So for me, not caring about pace has turned into continuing to improve on running.  I can’t tell anyone how to train and what works for them and nor do I want too.  I’m telling you how liberating it is for me to be carefree about pace.

What it took for me to get to that point isn’t easy and honestly, without being injured I don’t think I would have gotten here.  I truly learned my body is not going to respond well to fast runs everyday and it will be injured.

I think I should have renamed my blog CasualLOLZ or something.

Questions for you:

What are your thoughts?

Do you schedule workouts everyday or fly by the seat of your pants?

Running Injuries and Pace

By Posted in Running Tagged , , , 51 Comments

It’s no secret that I love to run.  I love running and it is one of my favorite parts of the day.  Is every run good?  No, of course not.  Are the majority of runs good?  Yes, yes they are. Do I let a bad run ruin my day, week, month…year? 

No, no I don’t.

And honestly I think that sets me apart from a lot of runners and bloggers.

I’ve had my fair share of running related and not running related injuries.  I’ve had a tibial stress fracture on my 21st birthday from poor training.  I ripped a muscle in my knee from running too quickly on the treadmill.  I had a rampant overgrown cyst in my foot that caused a bone to break and ruined my chances to go to nationals for no apparent reason related to running.

But want to know a secret? 

I’m still a person outside of all of that (even blogging too!) and still have other things that keep me going.  I can do other fitness related things and be as happy as running.    

Running means a lot to me, it does but it is not the only thing in life that keeps me going (neither is fitness).  I think that is where people get confused of my running motives.  I want nothing more to be the best runner I can be, but I’m not so the most aggressive and obsessed about it.  I’m not someone that cares IN THE SLIGHEST if I run an 8:05 mile or a 9:05 mile…if they are still injury free.   (racing that is another story but daily runs…who cares).

Here is the thing I guess I want to really promote in this post.  You should never let an individual run bother you.  You should never let a series of runs bother you.  Should you be sad if you are injured?  Of course, but you should realize…you will heal.  99% of injuries, you will be back to your old self in time. 

You should never leave a run in tears or be so upset after one because in a day, week or month…will it matter?  No, not at all.  You have good runs and you have bad runs…that is what happens.  The day I got my first running injury (ie: my 21st birthday and tibial stress fracture), I thought my life was over.  I thought my running career was over and I was devastated.  That was almost two years ago…and neither held true.  I healed.  I’m running better than ever.  I’m running better than ever recovering from my cyst injury three months ago.

I have found when I worry about pace, exact mileage or the very fine details of running is when it stresses me out.  So I don’t.  I don’t care if my recovery run or easy paced run pace.  It doesn’t bother me.  I know a lot of people struggle with running too fast, I never have that problem.  This is one instance that I can say you have to trust yourself.  You wait and train months trusting yourself for a race that your legs can run fast.

Trust your legs in a recovery run they can go slow.  If you are forced on a treadmill, do not be afraid to keep the pace slower.

Questions for you?  Thoughts?